1 comment:

It is really sad that the people who were the most devastated by the storm were also the poorest and most unable to help themselves. The fault lies in community and the lack thereof. It was the inability of the wealthy, educated and clearly ignorant people to look around and say, "I know I'm going to be safe but what about my neighbor." It's the people who live and interact, or should interact with their fellowman, their grocers, bankers, bikers, commuters, plumbers, fireman, policemen, shoe-shiners, bee-keepers, janitors, McDonalds food-servers, etc... Honestly, what would you do if you knew a hurricane was coming? Would you get in your car and drive away or would you go round up all your neighbors and give rides to everyone who couldn't get out. That is why community is so important. In times of need, you have to be able to pull everyone together and save everyone, not just the lucky few.

As cheesy as it sounds, it is the lack of willingness of those who were nearest to help out, for those who were educated and able to step up and say, let's do something. The responsibility is for the people closest to the situation to rise to the occasion, not some guy in a tie in some office, nor his administration. Yes, they could have responded in a timelier fashion, yes, they could have spent less on the war, yes, they could have lost the election, but they DIDN'T. So it is up to us, the people, the ones who live with and around each other to help out. It is our responsibility to look around and lift up our own people. I don’t want some ego-maniac who doesn’t know “my people” to have the honor and privilege of doing it.